The present invention relates to a pharmaceutical, specifically an optically active isoindoline derivative effective in the improvement, treatment or prevention of anxiety-associated nervous symptoms, and an intermediate for synthesis thereof.
In the field of antianxiety drugs, which act on the central nervous system, new compounds having no benzodiazepine skeleton have been investigated. Antianxiety and other drugs acting on the central nervous system must be orally administrable and cause no side effects such as muscular relaxation or sleep induction.
The present inventors conducted investigations and discovered an isoindolinone derivative represented by Formula A, which exhibits excellent antianxiety action, and a pharmacologically acceptable salt thereof (see Japanese Patent Publication Open to Public Inspection No. 69773/1986 corresponding to EP-A-0174858 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,695,572). ##STR2## [wherein X represents hydrogen, halogen or nitro; Ar represents phenyl or naphthyridinyl which may be replaced with a substituent; with respect to Z.sup.1 and Z.sup.2, either represents hydrogen while the other represents a lower alkanoyloxy or hydroxy, or both represent a lower alkoxy, or both cooperatively represent hydroxyimino, oxo or a group represented by the formula: ##STR3## wherein Y represents oxygen or sulfur; A represents a lower alkylene chain which may be branched].